The Rise of True Darkness: A Change in Leadership
by SonOfAerol
Summary: This is an idea of if Ganondorf wasn't the main antagonist...behold the rise of true darkness in the world of the Legend of Zelda
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A guard bearing the Royal Family's symbol rushed into the throne room, his armor clattering in the mad rush he was in. The guard found his King in deep conversation with a Gerudo thief from the west. "The front gate has been breached!" he exclaimed. The two stopped talking, a look of surprise followed by anger passing over the King's face. The King rose from his throne.

"You!" he cried, glaring angrily at the Gerudo. "You insolent fool! You really think you can stand against the might of Hyrule?" he gestured for the guards to take the thief into custody. "Your people will pay for this." the Gerudo started laughing quietly slowly gaining volume. A burst of dark energy struck the guards leaving them incapacitated. He rose menacingly from his chair coming to stand a head higher than the King of Red Lions. The two stood there quietly for a few moments and shouts were heard coming from outside of the Throne Room. The King drew his sword and lunged at the Gerudo thief and his sword whistled past the thief's arm as the thief dodged the attack. He shot a condensed ball of energy at Hyrule's King which struck him in the chest. The door of the Throne room burst open and mercenaries from Labrynna burst into the room.

"King Ganondorf," one said. He seemed to be the one in command. "We have successfully taken the castle as well as the town." Ganondorf chuckled deeply and turned to the King who was fading into the darkness that had hit him. Crouching face to face with him, he spoke.

"You see "Your Highness", it is not _my_ people who will suffer. My people have suffered the harshness of the desert and have become stronger than you ever hope to be." he slowly lifted the crown off of the King's head with his magic. "No, now it's your people's turn suffer." As he said this, he crushed the crown and let it fall in front of the King of Red Lions' face. That was the last thing that the King ever saw.

Seeing that the King was dead, Ganondorf rose and turned to the mercenaries he had hired. Labrynna was already under his control and Hyrule was soon to follow. "So the town and castle are secure, huh?" the leader nodded. "And where is the Princess and the Sheikah that supposedly guards her?"

"They should be in the Princess's room at the top the tower." he said.

"Should be? Have you checked and secured that room?" the mercenary stopped and considered what he would say next. Seeing this pause, Ganondorf already knew his reply. "Then you cannot say that you have secured the castle, can you?" after he had finished saying this, the leader grabbed at his throat and began to thrash about on the floor. His subordinates looked on in horror as their leader died before them. After he had stopped convulsing, Ganondorf looked at the remaining mercenaries. "Which of you will pledge your allegiance to the great and terrible Ganondorf?" immediately they all dropped to their knees and pledged fealty to the Gerudo King. "Now," he said, "check and secure the Princess's tower."

It took a few moments to clear the tower of any remaining Hylian Guards and work their way up to the top of the tower. The Labyrnnians burst into the room swords drawn and Ganondorf strode into the room. "Excuse the interruption, Princess. But I have news concerning your father and the state of your-"he stopped as he saw room was empty. His eyes went to the open window with a rope leading out of it. King Ganondorf let out a cry of rage and sent one of his minions flying out of the window into the empty space below. "FIND THEM!" he bellowed. He flew down the tower to his horse and sped on with the speed of the Goddesses.

He sped through town but by the time he reached the outside of the wall there was no trace of the Princess or her guard to be found. "Arrgh! I lost her!" he cried. Ganondorf glanced down and saw a young boy with a little sword and a wooden shield strapped to his back. "You over there! Little kid!" the kid stared blankly back at him. "You must have seen the white horse gallop past just now…which way did it go?!" he continued to stare. "Answer me!" the boy stepped back stubbornly. Ganondorf laughed.

"So," he said, "you think you can defend them from me…you've got guts kid." The kid drew his sword and Ganondorf laughed at the effort. "You want a piece of me?! Very funny! I like your attitude." He raised his hand and a weak, light energy pulsed from his hand and hit the boy. "Pathetic little fool! Do you realize who you are dealing with?! I am Ganondorf! And soon, I will rule the world!" when the boy had passed into unconsciousness, Ganondorf continued in his search. Little did he know this boy would provide the key to breaching the Sacred Realm.

5 Years Later

Ganondorf sat on his horse overlooking the valley where he had spent his youth. A soft breeze came from the basin behind him causing loose tufts of his hair to flow towards Gerudo Valley. The breeze felt soft and it reminded him of the goal that brought him out of the desert for the first time. But that was a long time ago and his goals had changed since then.

After conquering Labrynna he had first set his sights on Termina but it was too secluded and well protected by its environment and the strange magic surrounding the borders. He then set his sights on Hyrule, where his visions of recognition for his people had begun. He had achieved that goal and Hyrule was his. But he had one flaw in his plan and that was the freedom of Princess Zelda.

For five years he had been scouring the land of Hyrule for traces of the Hylian Princess and the Sheikah that had guided her to safety. This peak was one of his favorite spots to go to when he needed to think and relax. Here was where he could see his home and feel the cool breeze of Hyrule Field. At first his hope was that he could try to find a new lead to discover where his quarry was hiding but he had come to like this spot for the beauty of his surroundings. He had been there for a while when he heard footsteps behind him.

Turning around quickly, he cast a bolt of energy in the direction of the trespasser only to have it deflected harmlessly away from his target. The person standing there was quite shorter than he was and had the pointed ears of a Hylian. His long hair was black and most of it was pulled under a black cap atop his head. His skin took on a grayish tint and his eyes were deep and penetrating. Ganondorf drew his sword. "Who are you?" he asked. "A challenger come to free this land of the evil that has befallen it?"

The Hylian laughed a cold, unsettling laugh. "This "evil" as you call it has yet to befall the land of Hyrule. In fact," he met Ganondorf's gaze and a shudder ran down the King's spine, "I hope to lend you aid in your conquest of the world the Goddesses created." Ganondorf raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You wish to help me?" Ganondorf scoffed. "How could one as small as you _help_ me?" the stranger's demeanor turned cold. Suddenly, Death Mountain erupted into a fiery ball of ash and magma, the resulting ash soon covering Kakiriko Village in a foot of soot.

"I am more powerful in every kind of magic than you will ever hope to be, thief." A darkened aura started to visibly emanate from his body. "I could have you dethroned from your place of power in an instant and take all you have gained if I so desired it. But I need someone like you who can wield the responsibility it takes to rule this land." He led out his hand to strike a deal. "Do we have an agreement, King Ganondorf?"

Ganondorf thought about the offer he was made and contemplated his decision. After a moment's thought, Ganondorf grasped the stranger's hand and forged a deal that would change the world forever. The stranger smiled to reveal long, sharp incisors. "What would you have me do, sire?"

2 Years Afterwards

Link made his way up the staircase where Ganondorf had made his lair. The lavish red carpet of the stairs were a blood-red color providing the illusion of a waterfall of blood. He had come so close to recovering the Princess for the sake of Hyrule back in the Temple of Time. But Ganondorf had finally located her and used his dark power to capture her right before his eyes. But now he would defeat the Evil King once and for all and Hyrule would be safe. He didn't know what would come after he defeated Ganondorf but he hoped that the world would pull itself back together. He finally reached the gold patterned door and proceeded into the chamber.

The room had a cathedral ceiling lined with gold painted rib-like ivory supports. At the end the room was a massive red and gold organ where the Dark King sat playing an ominous tune that had echoed throughout the castle. The door behind Link shut itself behind him and the sound rang through the room. Ganondorf stopped playing and sat up straight from his hunched over playing position. His voice rang out from his seat.

"So you've finally come to challenge me…" he stood up and turned to face his visitor. The visitor wore the tunic of a Hylian Warrior from long ago and the Sword of Evil's Bane was attached to his back. _This could be a problem_ he thought.

"Link, is it?" he asked. "It has been a long time since I last saw your insolent face. Seven years have gone so fast. And I have gained more power every day since you opened the Sacred Realm." He raised his hand as the Triforce of Power started glowing on the back of it. "The Goddesses have chosen me to hold their might. They have chosen you to hold their courage." Link's hand began to glow. "And they have chosen the Princess to hold their wisdom." Link started at the name of Princess Zelda. Ganondorf laughed and started to hover and the surroundings started to disappear as if it was just an illusion. Link drew his sword and the battle for Hyrule's future began.

The stranger looked on the battle between Ganondorf and this supposed hero with amusement. They honestly thought that they were the pinnacle of the powers that they represented. There had been greater powers than even himself before the land of Hyrule was inhabited by the Hylian race. He looked at the prism that contained the Princess, whose hand was glowing a bright gold color. He couldn't believe that his plan was working so perfectly. All of the pieces of the Triforce had gathered together in one place and it was his for the taking. Once Ganondorf had stripped the power from Link and then proceeded to take it from the Princess, the stranger would then take the whole of the Triforce from the King of Thieves. It was all working perfectly.

A little _too_ perfectly.

He couldn't put it to words but there was a feeling he had had since he met with Ganondorf those years ago. It was like there was a little monster chewing at the back of his mind that left little hints of doubt strewn about his thoughts. But he couldn't pay any attention to that right now.

His thoughts wandered back to the fight for the Triforce of Courage. It took him a moment to figure out what exactly was happening but when he did he couldn't believe what he was seeing. This brat was beating the great and terrible King of Evil! The stranger laughed a laugh that echoed throughout the chamber. Then he stopped and considered the possible threat this boy was. He couldn't have Ganondorf losing to this kid. That would cause some…complications on his plan. The stranger then decided that he had let Ganondorf have his fun and now it was time to get to business.

He warped into the room behind Link just as he was about to strike the King down. Light flashed into the room, illuminating the walls in a dark purple light. A clash went through the room as the Master Sword struck the ground and Link collapsed, the Golden Power still glowing on his hand. The stranger stood over the boy as Ganondorf regained his position from the ground.

"What are you doing, Stranger?" he growled. "I could have defeated him on my own." The stranger shot him a cold glare which silenced him.

"The fight had continued longer than you promised me," he countered, "and from where I was standing it didn't look like you had it under your "control" as you so put it." Ganondorf looked at the stranger and turned to look at the Hero on the ground out of frustration. He pointed at the Hylian on the ground.

"What am I supposed to do with him then?" he demanded. The stranger looked at him as if he had asked a stupid question.

"You seize the Triforce and continue on to the Princess. That is the only way you will hold dominion over the Sacred Realm."

Ganondorf exhaled deeply and moved down to inspect the boy. He let out a startled gasp and then a frustrated yell. "It's gone!" he threw the hand away from him in disgust. "The Triforce has been taken from him!" Ganondorf turned to look at the stranger but he was gone. "STRANGER!" he exclaimed. He stormed up to the tower he was holding the Princess and found the stranger already there. He grabbed the collar of the stranger only to be blasted away to the other side of the chamber. The stranger rose from the ground over the King of Thieves.

"How dare you try to assault me, thief." This was said in a cold, calm voice. "Was it not I who taught you to harness your power until you gained the Triforce of Power? And you attack me?" he descended back to the ground and Ganondorf rose up from the ground.

"I apologize, Stranger. My anger sometimes seems to take over from time to time." He saw that the prison where the Princess was being held was empty. The stranger spoke before the King.

"Yes." He stated. "The Goddesses have once again thwarted a rightful holder of Power from reaching his goal."

Ganondorf let out a bellow of fury and stormed out of the room. Across the land of Hyrule, in the refugee camps on the border shared with Termina, a cry was heard ring out as a new Hero was born into a land thrown into chaos. The next morning, Princess Zelda awoke with no memory past her capture in the Temple of Time.


	2. Chapter 2

The people of the village gathered at the tunnel entrance to Hyrule Field excitedly. Their champions were returning from the attempt to take part of the field from the New Gerudo forces. A young man who had just came of age rushed to get a good spot at the front of the crowd. Excitement built up as time went by and, before long, there was movement in the tunnel. The crowd, who was once excited and cheerful, suddenly turned somber as they saw the aftermath. Men who had gone out strong and confident came back weak and depressed or they hadn't come back at all. Cries of anguish rose up from the crowd as family of those who hadn't returned realized the identities of the missing. The young man stared at the returning troops in disbelief before sharply looking away. He looked up and saw the village's source of hope standing on top of the lookout point. Some of the other people saw her and some vented their anger towards her,

"Do you see what has happened" one man cried out.

"Our fathers, brothers, and sons are dead because of that!" another exclaimed. The young man looked on as the Princess took this abuse without any sign of anger or frustration. That was one of the reasons she was in charge and not some high-ranking general. She was admired for her strength and not her bloodline.

"Link!" He heard someone call. The young man turned toward the source of the voice and saw his employer. He sighed and jogged to where he was. Yato, his employer, was in his mid-forties and had been a rancher before Ganondorf took over the Kingdom and whose hair was barely clinging to his head but was still strong as a bull. Now, however, he ran a simple general store for the village's army and he expected to be very busy, very soon. "I know there's a lot of excitement to see returning soldiers," he said when Link reached him, "but you're an adult now so you need to fight the urge to follow the crowd." Link nodded and Yato put his arm around him and started walking away from the crowd. "Now that I think about it," said Yato, "it's a good thing you went. Now we know what to prepare for the soldiers." Link smiled and followed him to their shop near the barracks on the other side of the village.

Their shop was one of the few stone structures in the village, which was placed somewhere in the Lost Woods, a point of defense that the Princess and her Generals continued to point out. It was said that the goddess Farore protected these trees herself. Their shop was placed as close to the barracks as allowed and carried everything from fresh eggs to medical supplies. Link went straight to medical supplies while Yato immediately went to prepare food for the returning soldiers. They hadn't been there long before people started showing up for their products. Link's supplies were hurriedly running out and he had to run to the back supply room of the store more than a few times for more. Yato continued to make food for the returning men and Link managed the front of the store. After a long while there was silence in the shop. Link let out a rush of breath and bowed his head in exhaustion. He closed his eyes and tried to not think about why all the supplies were needed. Then there was the sound of boots in the doorway of the shop. Link looked up to see the village Guardsmen lining up a walkway to the counter. He stood up and straightened his apron and tried to look professional for whoever was coming. Only the highest of ranks got the formality from the Guardsmen.

The doorway was then filled by someone he'd never seen before in this part of the village. His mind ran frantically but tried to keep a serious face as Princess Zelda walked into Yato's shop. She stopped when she reached the counter and Link gave a confined bow as not to hit the edge of the counter. "What may I provide you, Your Highness?" he asked. The Princess looked at him with probing eyes that made it uncomfortable to make eye contact with her.

"You have done so much over the past years for the soldiers, young man. And they needed you and your supplies more than ever today." She gestured to one of her escorts and was handed a pouch that bulged with coins. "It's only acceptable to reimburse you for your services." She placed the money on the counter and began to walk out of the building. She had reached the door when Link called out to her.

"Excuse me Your Majesty," he extended his hand out with the coins in it toward Princess Zelda. "We cannot even hope to thank you for the recognition you have given us today and our thanks for the offer of reimbursement. But we cannot accept this money for the services we were proud to give to the soldiers returning from battle." He lowered his head as she walked back towards him. He felt the bag lift from his hand and looked up. She was there looking surprised at his formality but not his words.

"What is your name?" she inquired.

"Link, Princess." He answered. A strange look of sadness and longing crossed her face for a second but it was concealed quickly. Her eyes held the cool fire of anger associated with the mention of the past. She smiled and extended her hand which Link took.

"It is a pleasure to meet someone who is worthy of that name, Link." he nodded and she took her hand back from the counter. "Is Yato in, Link? I would like to speak with him and extend my thanks." Link nodded and opened the counter.

"Yes ma'am, he's in the back preparing food for the barracks." He started walking back with the Princess followed by her Guard. He heard her tell them to stay in the entrance before reaching where Yato was. When they had reached that point and Yato saw who was with Link, he excused Link back to entrance with the Guards and the two began to talk.

Link was back behind the counter and the Guards were keeping strict position in the lobby in front of Link. The silence was charged with curiosity and obedience as the minutes ticked by. Eventually, Princess Zelda walked out led by Yato and she walked out from behind the counter to face Link. Yato excused himself and she smiled at Link.

"Have you ever considered joining the Army or the Guard, Link?" she asked. Link was taken aback by this inquiry.

"Y-yes, Princess." He stammered. "Of course I thought about it. But I'm not much for fighting. I feel I can help those who serve us behind this counter by providing my services to Yato." She nodded.

"You certainly can. Very well one might say. But you should consider it," she said turning away. "You have an amazing teacher back there." And with that she was led out of the store by her Guardsmen leaving Link to ponder what she had said.

It was late at night when Yato decided to close the store. Before Link had the chance to go home, Yato pulled him aside and asked Link to join him for dinner. This was an offer he couldn't refuse, Yato was a master cook and made the most exquisite food this side of the Lost Woods, though he wouldn't admit it.

Once he had made the food, a roast beef with sides of potatoes, carrots, and toasted bread, they sat down and began to devour the meal. After a while, when the rush for food had ended and they had been talking for a while about the day's work, Link's curiosity gained the better of him. "What did the Princess mean when she said you were an amazing teacher?" Yato stopped eating and looked at Link.

"When did she say this?" he asked after swallowing. Link put down his fork

"After she asked me about my thought about joining the Army." He looked at Yato for an expression but all that was there was a stone cold face that leaked no information for him to gather. Yato stood up and cleared his place from the table without answering Link's question. While he was rinsing his plate, he stopped and looked up from his work.

"When Ganondorf first came to power, I was almost twenty-one when I joined the resistance that formed against the invading Gerudo Army..." he looked at Link still sitting at the table. "I did some things I wasn't proud of in the fights we had and I left the fight to take up a shop that had been abandoned during the war. What I didn't know was that for many in the resistance I was a sign of strength and hope against the evil. And when I left a lot of the fighters lost initiative. But I made a lot of money selling supplies and I realized that I could do a lot more here, where it was safe, than risking my life as fodder for Ganondorf's monsters." He continued washing his plate. "That's what she meant when she said I was an amazing teacher." He finished and placed the plate on a rack to dry. Link got up from his place awkwardly and went over to Yato's side.

"So what do you think about me joining the Army?" he asked quietly. There was silence between the two, only the sound of water hitting porcelain going through the room. Yato sighed.

"I would miss the help." He looked into Link's eyes and saw a quiet fire that Link didn't know exist. "If you think it's what you should do then I have no ill will against the decision. But you'll be missed here if you do join." Link nodded and their conversation ended.

After they finished cleaning up, Link left Yato's house with heavy thoughts and a container of extra food.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a week since he and Yato had that talk about Yato's past and Link's inquiry about joining the Army. That same conversation had left the same question in his mind the entire week. He was distracted in his everyday responsibilities and he was losing sleep thinking about it. This decision was a huge one that would change Link's life forever but he did not know which he would choose.

Yato noticed the distraction and regretted telling him about his past. But he did not comment on Link's behavior and went about his chores without acknowledging the subject. Things had been quiet in the shop for the last couple of days. The barracks had gotten a fresh supply of first aid supplies from across the Hyrule-Termina border and the only customers they were having were small farmers and villagers. The next couple of days went by and there were rumors of another attempt to take part of the field happening sometime soon. The attack was being planned in secret in fear of spies inside the village.

During one of these days, Yato came up behind Link and put his hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you take a break from the store and get your mind off things?" Link protested, but, after constant insistence on Yato's part, he left. "Don't go wandering in the Woods." He called after him jokingly. Nobody ever went wandering into the Lost Woods on purpose. Unless they had a death wish.

Link left the shop and shielded his eyes as the sunlight hit them for the first time that day. He'd gotten to the shop early in the morning before the sun rose above the trees. He heard Yato's final call and laughed as he walked through the village to the other side. There he knew he would find a friend who would be thankful for the company.

He entered the gate to the farm that his friend's parents managed with the help of their near adulthood daughter. Link went to the front door and asked if she was there. "You know Lonny." Her mother said laughing. "She's around here somewhere." Link laughed as well and thanked Lonny's mother. Her family actually owned the largest amount of land in the village and it was quite a chore to find one person. He had a basic idea where she might be so he started in the barn.

The barn was a large wooden structure on the edge of the grazing land on the farm. The inside was very cavernous with cow stalls lining both walls with a couple of horse stalls grouped together on one end. "Lonny?" he called into the room. He was answered by a lazy cow in the stall nearest him. He checked the hay loft to find it empty as well. Link sighed. She wasn't here. She was probably somewhere in the field with the horses, a place he should have assumed where she was.

He wandered out into the field and had only been there for a few moments before he was tackled from behind. "Link!" cried Lonny, hugging him in a crushing death-grip. "I haven't seen you in forever. Yato must be running a prison in that little village." Link laughed and pushed her off of him so he could get up. She was right, they hadn't seen each other in a couple of months. They had been very busy for the both of them, with the attempts at gaining ground becoming more frequent and the demand for food goods and supplies being very in demand.

Lonny had grown a couple of inches since he last saw her and her brown hair had grown in length as well. He smiled and tousled her hair, "You've grown a little haven't you, shrimp?" she angrily tried to fix her hair.

"Not funny Link." She had finished fixing it but it was still out of place in some parts. "Just because I'm a couple months younger than you doesn't mean you can treat me like a kid." She walked away from him and Link followed behind.

"So what have you and your parents been up to?" Link asked, trying to breach the lack of conversation as they sat watching over the horses as they grazed. Lonny sighed as if she was thinking and had been interrupted.

"Well, the soldiers need the food so we've been busy with that." Link nodded and a somewhat depressing mood passed over them. "Oh," she said, brightening up, "I've been training a horse. Personally." Link raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement. "My dad says it is part of some "grand test" and if I do well, I'll get more respect and responsibility around the farm, as well as the village." Link laughed.

"You want more respect from the village?" Lonny looked at him sarcastically. "Lonny, this farm, and the people on it, are just under Princess Zelda for most respected people in this village." She sighed.

"Well yes but I want to be respected for myself. Not something my parents did." Link nodded in understanding. He had never had the opportunity for that. He had never known his father and his mother had died while he was too young to remember. There was a gap of silence in the conversation and Lonny's mother called for the both of them from the house. They both got up and started walking back to the house. When they nearly got there, Link could see Lonny's mother in a serious conversation with Yato who was accompanied by a Guardsmen. Link said goodbye to Lonny, promising to stop by again soon and met up with Yato and his companion.

"-and I don't know what I'm going to do about this." He heard Yato say to Lonny's mother. Yato saw Link approaching. "Excuse me Malon, it was nice talking with you." Malon nodded and went back inside the house. "Link, this a friend of mine." He said pointing to the Guard. "His name is Malik and he's a leader of a platoon in the Princess's Personal Guard." Malik nodded in greeting and the sun glinted off of the helmet in the crook of his arm. He wasn't wearing the full plate armor that the soldiers wore into battle but the light, flexible armor of the Guards and the Army Scouts.

"How are you this fine evening? Link, isn't it?" he extended his hand. Link nodded and shook the man's hand. "I was informed by my superiors of your interest to join the Army. I am not here to convince you to join, I am here, however, to show you the opportunities that are involved with military service and what you can accomplish as a Guardsman for the Princess and the village we protect while the Army is out fighting the war." Link nodded but was confused about why he was being recruited in this manner. Usually if one wanted to join the soldiers' ranks all they had to do was prove that they were loyal to the cause and they were enlisted that same day. Yato interrupted his thought process.

"Malik wants to take you out with his platoon on a quick patrol of the outskirts of the explored part of the Lost Woods." Yato's voice conveyed that he didn't like this idea at all. Malik cut in before he could continue.

"What Yato here is trying to say," he continued, "is that the Princess sees real potential in you and wishes you to become part of her personal bodyguard. This is no joke, Link. If you come with me then you'll become a part of the Princess's Guardsmen." Link was surprised at the choice he faced.

On one hand he could choose to stay and work as a shopkeeper for the rest of his life. But on the other he could go with Malik and become a Guard. He knew that he would've had to choose between the two at some point but he didn't expect it to be so soon. He took a deep breath and made eye contact with Yato. Yato had seen that look before and saw the fire in Link's eyes burning more fiercely than ever. He sighed.

"It has been a pleasure knowing you for all of these years." Yato walked to Link and pulled him into a hug. "I'm proud to have had all of those talks with you." He released him. "You'll make a fine soldier." And with that Yato walked away and left Link with Malik. Malik clapped Link on the shoulder.

"Let's get you into a uniform." He said. Link nodded and followed him back into town.

Link looked at the armor that he was wearing. The leather plates were thick enough to stop an arrow, but thin enough for him to move around comfortably. Under the leather there was a light chain and a dark green tunic. Malik looked him up and down in approval. "The color really fits you Link. You look like you were born to wear the uniform." He handed Link a sword that had been forged in the village. "I know I don't have to worry about you handling this, Yato told me about your experience with a weapon. He said you were a natural." Link was a little embarrassed by the praise and wondered what Yato would think about all of this as he strapped on the sword.

"Anything else?" he asked. Malik answered by handing him a medium-sized wooden shield. Link took the shield and put it on his back.

"Come on, Link." Malik said. He began to walk out of the armory they were in with Link behind him. "It's time for you to meet the rest of the people you'll be going out with tonight." Link stopped at the door and looked at himself in the mirror beside the door. If he didn't know he was looking in a mirror, he wouldn't have recognized himself. The light from the dwindling sun shone off of his chain and the pommel of his sword hilt. He didn't have anything on his head so his medium-length dirty blond hair was free to move around as a breeze went through the room. Link took a deep breath and went out into the village as a member of the Guardsmen.


	4. Chapter 4

Link was a little surprised by the diversity that was in the one small squad he was in for the night. "This won't be your permanent position." Malik had said, much to the relief of the squad members. "Once we're done with tonight, you'll be put into a regular spot." Link understood the relief of his squad-mates perfectly. He wouldn't want to have a rookie with him on a patrol either. Understanding where he stood in this situation made Link feel a little bit nervous. The leader of the squad noticed Link's nervousness and pat him on the back.

"Listen here, mate. This is just a simple patrol, no need to be nervous." Link remembered that he had been a construction worker in Kakiriko when the Dark King took over. "There's no danger whatsoever on this thing. I've been patrolling this patch of the Woods for almost two years and I've never seen any sort of action." He smiled and took position at the front of the group with Malik and the other two squad leaders.

The platoon walked for a while until they were well out of the village. Link realized that this was the first time he had ever been in the Lost Woods. He had heard the legends that there were of this place. Of the Skull Children and the Stalfoes that wandered the trees at night. The thickness of the canopy they were under covered any sign of the stars but Link knew it was well into the night. Before they left, Malik had quenched Link's curiosity about the matters of the Lost Woods and the legends surrounding it.

"True, there is a very small possibility that we'll get lost but the majority of people have been through here enough and know how to find home." He said. "Just follow your squad and you'll be fine." Now that they were actually in the trees though, these words did little to comfort him.

When the platoon had been walking for some time, Malik called them to a halt and gave orders to the squad leaders. Malik joined with the third squad and the group split off in separate directions. "Listen up, kids." the leader said quietly as they were jogging through the trees. "We've been commanded to take the western end of our little patch of the Woods. Our mission is to make sure that there's nothing suspicious going on and that our village is in no danger. Anything that seems out of place needs to be reported to me as soon as you see it. This includes, Labrynnians, Stalfoes, Skull Kids, and any other sort of monsters." The squad laughed at the crack that their leader made at Labrynna. "Understood, Link?" Link nodded.

"Yes, sir." He whispered. The squad leader nodded and they continued on to the Western Woods.

The trees began to thin, as well as the canopy above them, as they moved westwards. There had been no sign of anything of interest for the time that they had been out. The majority of the group, while looking for enemies, saw this patrol as a sightseeing trip. The west of the Lost Woods were said to be where the ancient temple was located and there was evidence to prove it. Everywhere you looked there were bits of chiseled stone and sometimes what looked to be ruined walls were in the distance. Link thought these "walls" were just illusions the Woods were famous for.

"Keep it moving, ladies." The leader said. "This isn't a sightseeing patrol. We have to make sure that the civilians are safe." The group continued like this for a little while longer before the squad leader stopped them. He turned to face them and made sure everyone was there. "Is there anything to report that you didn't bring to my attention earlier?" he asked. Nobody spoke. "Nothing then?" he smiled. "Alright then, back to the village." Link released air he didn't know he was holding. His first patrol had gone well. Something that seem to happen more than not, if talk was to be believed. He released the grip he had on the hilt of his sword and looked about him in wonder. Though they were treacherous, the Lost Woods held a sort of ethereal beauty in its trees. Suddenly the leader held up his hand and called them to a stop.

"Look," he said, pointing at footprints on the ground, "this track is from one of ours. If we follow them, they should lead us back to the village." The group started moving again, following the track of another squad. Link felt a cloud come over his mind and his hand settled on the hilt of his sword again. It seemed that others in the group could feel it too and some took out their shields or fingered their swords anxiously. The leader stopped, appalled at what he saw before him.

There were leather armor plates strewn about the ground so the entire squad knew what this was. The leader bent down and picked up a scrap of cloth and cursed. He turned around to his patrol and addressed them. "Something has happened to the Second Squad." A grim mood took hold of the group, and the sound of swords being pulled from sheathes filled the patch of woods they were in. "This is no longer a simple patrol." The leader said, also drawing his sword. "We are now part of a search and rescue mission. You," he pointed to Link, "stay close to me. The rest of you, gather as much information possible from the scene and we'll move on from there." The squad split up and searched the area for any signs of where Second Squad and Link walked over to the leader.

"Look," he whispered, "I didn't want to bring you along at all. If I had it my way, you'd be back at the barracks still filling out paperwork." Link was surprised by the harshness at these words. "But we can't change that now. Look here," he pointed to the ground at a faint track, "what do you think that looks like?" Link crouched and inspected the print.

"It looks like…" Link stopped, not believing what he was seeing. The squad leader nodded.

"It's a Stalfo footprint." He looked around nervously. "For all we know they could be watching us right now."

"They?" Link asked. "How many of them do you think there are?" the leader shook his head.

"I'm not sure. But if one Stalfo could take out an entire squad of trained men, we either aren't training well enough, or the enemy is stronger than we thought." A call came from one of the squad members. He rushed over to Link and the leader.

"Sir, we found a set of tracks on the edge of the scene. They look to be Stalfo tracks." The leader nodded and clapped him on the back.

"Well done, soldier. Link and I have come to that same conclusion." He would have continued but there was a high pitched giggle behind them. They turned around, swords at the ready and saw a Skull Kid peeking out from behind a tree. What was once soft skin was now a harsh, dark, canvas like substance. It had a small beak-like mouth with two nostrils on top of it. It wore clothing that resembled a scarecrow. The soldier yelled, trying to scare it off. But instead of running, it came out from behind its cover and laughed again. An arrow flew towards it but the Skull Kid jumped and disappeared. A growl came from the right of them and the squad saw the same Skull Kid. There was silence as the two parties looked at each other. One member rushed at it but was greeted with a barrage of pumpkin seeds from the Skull Kid. He reeled back and came back to the group.

"Don't try something like that again." The leader reprimanded the soldier. "That could have been a trap and you would have put this entire group in danger." The soldier apologized and the stare down continued. "What do you want?" the leader asked after a time. The sun was well behind the tree line now, and there was only a dim light from strange glowing orbs floating around them. The Skull Kid cocked his head to the side at the question and looked the leader down. Then he vanished.

"Ha, ha!" came a childish voice from all around them. "That was fun! Too bad I have to go now…I hope you can come back soon!" then the voice was gone and the squad was left in the deafening silence of the Lost Woods. A breath of relief came from everyone in the squad.

"What was that voice?" someone asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"I think it was the Skull Kid…" Link thought aloud. A quiet chuckle passed through those who heard what he had said. The leader took command of his squad.

"Alright everybody, our new objective is to get out of the Woods before we become Stalfoes ourselves." Everyone nodded in agreement. "First thing we'll need to do is continue to follow-"he didn't finish and he fell to the ground with a dull thud. Behind where he was previously standing was a Stalfo flanked by two more. The squad looked at the monsters and the monsters looked back at them.

The Stalfoes stood over the Guards a good distance of height. Their bodies were only skeletons and their faces bore a chilling smile. The armor they wore was rusted and their swords were notched, as if they had been in an ancient battle that had been long forgotten.

Then, with a cry, the crash of steel on steel filled the Lost Woods as Hylians and monsters collided.

It was madness that Link had never experienced or even dreamed of. The group of ten Guardsmen had charged the Stalfoes and Link was not as hesitant as he should have been. As he wielded his sword, he felt a strange connection with the weapon. He could feel his blood burning with each strike as they landed on his enemy's shield, sword, or body. The battle cries of the Guardsmen were mixed with the calls of the Stalfoes. The fallen made no sound.

It took three people to bring down the one of them. Once one had been dealt with, another could be mobbed and so on. The last one to fall was the one that had killed the squad leader. When it had finally dissolved into the ground, Link looked around. Although it was a relatively cool night, beads of sweat ran down his face and he felt uncontrollably hot. He saw only two of his squad-mates left in the battlefield. The rest either lay on the ground unmoving or wandering around in the forest. He looked on the ground for any sort of trail he could follow back to the village but he saw that he had lost the path in the fight. He walked in the direction he the thought it was, but seeing nothing, he turned around to find that he was alone in the darkness of the trees. Link cursed and started walking in a continuous direction hoping that he would eventually find a path.

Link didn't know how long he had been wandering the Lost Woods. Sunlight was beginning to filter through the tops of the trees but he did not feel any sort of fatigue. He continued walking and he eventually came in contact with another Skull Kid. He stopped and looked at it and it stared back. Link put his hand on the hilt of his sword and the Skull Kid began to crouch lower to the ground. Link took his hand off of the weapon, not wanting to provoke the creature. When he did so, he noticed that the Skull Kid got back to his original stance. Out of curiosity, Link put his hand back on the hilt and the Skull Kid did the same thing as before. They both returned to their original positions, Link with his hand of the hilt and the Skull Kid a little hunched over. Link started walking forward, slowly as not to startle the creature. It took a step back cautiously but started inching closer as well. Link extended his hand and the Skull Kid sniffed the extended limb. Then he smacked it away and jumped back laughing. Link fell back in surprise which elicited another giggle from the Skull Kid.

"Ha, ha!" it said. It sounded a little like a young child speaking. "You're fun! I know, I'll show you my secret place!" the Skull Kid skipped off in a direction left of where Link had been walking. Warily, Link followed it deeper into the Lost Woods.


	5. Chapter 5

"Goddesses!" Link cursed. He looked at the ground where he had just stepped and saw the remains of a crushed pot. The Skull Kid giggled.

"There are a lot of those little things around here." It continued walking. "Try not to break anymore, you wouldn't want to alert any…monsters. Ha, ha!" Link looked at the Skull Kid and wondered why he'd been following him this long. While they were walking, Link had come across some mushrooms that seemed edible but he didn't trust them enough. The two continued walking for a little bit longer before Skull Kid let out an excited yell. It ran towards a line of bushes and disappeared. Link stood there, wondering what he should do. Summoning any willpower left in him, he passed through the line of bushes.

When he emerged from the leaves, he found himself in an opening with a tree stump in the far corner. On the far side was a massive doorway with a makeshift ladder leading up to it. Link barely glimpsed the Skull Kid before he entered the entrance. Link walked forward towards the ladder, the grass crunching beneath his boots. The stump was close the ladder and as he was climbing the ladder, he thought he saw somebody sitting there. But when he looked, all he saw was a regular stump of wood. Link finally reached the top of the ladder and embraced a cool atmosphere as he walked into the Skull Kid's secret place.

He found himself in a long, narrow hallway which was carpeted with a wine-red carpet. The walls were lined with strange symbols and drawings that were covered in thin cobwebs. At the end of the hall was a wooden door that was painted to look like it had a stained glass window. Link walked up to it and turned the handle. When the door opened, Link found himself in another cleared patch of grass that was surrounded by tall, stone walls covered by vines. On the other side of the clearing, there was a door much like the one he just passed. Link started towards the door but stopped when he heard something drop behind him. He whirled around, sword drawn expecting danger. Instead, he saw the Skull Kid looking at him warily. Link put away the sword and let out a sigh of relief.

"Where is this place?" Link asked it. The Skull Kid giggled and jumped into the trees above. When it was there, it ran down the limb and did some rummaging in a box of sorts. A small, silver key dropped down and, curious, Link bent down to pick it up. The Skull Kid dropped down and saw that he had the key. It then ran over to the door and mentioned for Link to come to the door as well. Link followed it and tried the handle. It was locked. Link narrowed his eyebrows and put the key in the keyhole beneath the handle and heard the lock turn. The door opened by itself and the Skull Kid let out a cry of joy and excitement and ran through the opening. Link followed him and found himself in the biggest room he'd ever seen.

The ceiling extended up in a pyramid-like fashion and there were unlighted torches on the walls. In the center were four torches that were burning with four different colors that surrounded a tall, hollowed out box. There were doors all over the room and Link felt the need to explore. And, like the Skull Kid said, little pots were scattered across the room. He saw the creature that had led him to this place running around the room. He called out to it and it stopped in its tracks. It turned to look at Link.

"You still haven't told me where we are." Link said, walking towards it. The Skull Kid growled as Link got closer and Link stopped approaching. "What's the matter?" he asked. His sword wasn't drawn and he didn't have any other weapons on him. He checked to see if there was anything behind him but, seeing just empty space, there was no clue as to why the Skull Kid was acting like this. Suddenly, it stopped and giggled.

"Ha, ha! This is my secret place." It sniffed the air. "But someone else is here. And it smells like the trees." Its head picked up as if it heard something in the distance. The Skull Kid got really excited and disappeared leaving Link by himself in the chamber. Link took this time to inspect the room further.

He looked over the walls and saw that they too had weird symbols and drawings covering them. The air of the room smelled old, almost like Link was the first to step foot in it for years. The torches were just wood but the holders had an intricate metal pattern that were made to look like flowers. He then examined the hollow box in the center of the room. It was a dark brown color and was smooth to the touch. Not wanting to damage it, he left it in search of where the Skull Kid went.

Link went to one of the doors and tried the handle. It turned with ease and he entered a small room with a white, stone bridge going across a deep pool. There was a well in one corner, but it was full of water, and there was a tall wall with an opening at the top. It didn't look like he could reach it though. He went back through the door and would have gone through the one next to it but it was covered by strong iron bars. Curious, he walked back to the box to look for any kind of clue of what to do. He bent down and found that the box moved down a little bit. He leaped back from the box in surprise but, summoning his courage, he stepped into the box and it slowly fell down into a circular room.

There was only one doorway in the room and there was a carpet leading from the platform through it. He stepped off of the platform and followed the carpet. Behind him, the box floated back up through the hole in the ceiling. Link continued walking until he found himself in a long, broad hallway with a huge, ornate door at the end. There were no handles or any visible way to open it so Link just stood and admired the door. Up close he could see that the gold pattern was a lot more detailed than it had originally looked like. Link gently touched the pattern and the door opened suddenly and he stepped through it before it closed.

Now he was at the bottom of a circular staircase surrounding a huge pillar. He started walking up the stairs and they seemed to go on forever. When he finally reached the top, a gate closed behind him as he stepped on the pillar. Link tried opening it but it wouldn't budge. He was now on top of the pillar and in the center there was a brightly glowing, blue circle. He walked towards it and he could hear a tune coming from the center of it. It sounded happy, but there was a small hint of sadness each time it would stop before continuing to play. Link stepped inside a circle and it started glowing more and he found himself in a dark place that didn't seem to have walls.

In front of him was a small girl wearing green clothes. She had shoulder length green hair and she was playing a small flute-like instrument. She stopped when she saw him and stared at him with deep, green eyes. "Is that you, Link?" she asked. Link was taken aback by this question.

"Do I know you?" he asked her. Link was pretty sure that he'd never met this girl before. "And what are you doing in a strange place like this?" her eyes looked like she had been hurt in some way that couldn't be described. She bowed her head and when she looked back up, there were tears in her eyes.

"No, it seems you don't know me…" her voice cracked with emotion. "I am Saria, one of the Sages chosen by the three Goddesses. I'm the last one to remain in this place. The others left to protect their peoples." Saria's eyes seemed to travel back to a time where she had been happy. "I stayed here in hope that a friend would come back." She eyed his appearance. "You look like him and I'm assuming you are also named Link?" Link nodded. Saria smiled warmly. "I'm sure you have many questions, Link. But let me tell you all I can right now.

"This place is the ancient Temple of the Forest. At one time it was a holy place filled with warmth and light. But that changed when the Great Deku Tree was cursed by the King Thief. The King wanted the holy jewel given to the guardians of the Lost Woods by the Goddess of Courage, Farore. The Deku Tree called on the boy without a fairy to rid him of the curse but he was too late. The Great Tree bestowed on him the jewel and kept it out of the Evil King's hands. But it all came down to when the Door of Time was opened. Shortly after Ganondorf came to power, the boy opened the door sealing the entrance to the Sacred Realm. This allowed the King to enter and take the majority of it. This chamber is the last area he has not taken, praised be the Goddesses. But if he were ever able to gain all three pieces of the Triforce, the Sacred Realm and the rest of the world will fall into a new age of shadows." Saria stopped and Link tried to take in all that had been said.

"So what do I have to do with this?" he inquired. Saria looked as if she was listening to someone talking."

"The boy without a fairy, Link, became the Hero of Time and went forth to battle Ganondorf. But he vanished from the sights of the Sages and we can only assume that he has fallen." Her voice had a sadness in it that made Link tremble a little bit.

"So the legends are true then? The Hero of Time actually existed?" Saria nodded.

"The Princess Zelda was very close to him. It was a time where all of the races lived together and traded together in harmony. I had many friends in those days, but I'm afraid I'll never be able to see them again…" Link bowed his head. "Before you leave," she added, "let me teach you a song." Saria handed him an instrument much like the one she had. "This is an ocarina. This one holds the spirits of the fairies that no longer grace these Woods. This song will allow you to talk to me whenever you want, but only for a short time." She held her ocarina to her mouth and began to play the tune that Link had heard earlier. She motioned for Link to try when she finished and Link held the clay up to his mouth. He felt a natural instinct when he began and, after a few attempts, he learned Saria's Song. He played it again when he had mastered it and Saria smiled and Link found himself at the entrance of the Temple.

Link looked around, surprised, and he heard Saria's voice. "I'll always consider you a friend…" Link felt a strange connection to this Sage that he couldn't explain. He whispered his thanks and walked to an exit he hadn't noticed before. "Finally," he said, "a path. Hopefully this will lead me somewhere I'm familiar with." Link walked towards it and found himself in a giant hedge-maze. Eventually, he found his way out into a clearing of sorts. He stopped and he felt a burning sensation on the top of his left hand. Link, panicking, tore off his glove and stopped, shocked by what he saw.

On his hands were three large triangles. Two of them, one on the top and the one on the right, were a light grey color. But the last one glowed brightly with a shade of gold he'd never seen before. He stared at these symbols on his hand in wonder. Link had absolutely no idea what he was seeing. Pulling his glove on, he covered the light so he wouldn't attract enemies. Link had to hurry back to the village.


	6. Chapter 6

Link crashed through another bush much like the one surrounding the Forest Temple. This time he found himself in a small village of tiny houses with doorways so small he couldn't enter. Opposite of where he'd entered was an opening into the woods and another one to the left of him. He decided to go for the one on the left. To get there he walked past a small house on top of a tree. He stopped and looked at it. Link didn't know what was so special about this house that made it worthy of inspection but he continued to look at it. He shook his head and continued after a bit longer.

When he entered the next entrance, he found himself in a more familiar location. In the distance, he could see Lonny's house. Link smiled and began to jog towards the house. When he got there, he knocked and was greeted by Malon. When she saw him, she let out a cry and pulled him into a hug. "Thank the Goddesses you're alright, Link." Her voice was filled with emotion. "We didn't know what happened to you." She called Lonny down and, when she came to the doorway, it looked like she had been crying. When she saw Link, she jumped at him and pulled him into a hug. Link fell back and landed on the ground with a sobbing Lonny on top of him.

"Hey, Lonny." Link said. Malon was still in the doorway, crying and laughing. Lonny didn't seem like she was going to let go anytime soon. After a little bit, Link was able to get up off the ground and Lonny let go off him.

"Link, what happened?" she asked, trying to get air. "When nobody came back from the patrol, we all assumed you had been delayed. But then Malik showed up and-"she broke back into crying and Malon told Link to come inside so she could explain it to him.

Once they were inside, Link was greeted by Lonny's father. He was a strongly built person with short, brown hair. He extended his hand and Link took it. "Welcome back to the land of the living." He joked. Malon smacked his arm and glared at him. He chuckled and sat down at a table beside Link. Once they had settled down, Lonny on the other side of Link and her mom across from him, Malon told him what had happened.

"About three days ago, Malik came out of the Woods. He said that the squad he was with was ambushed by a pack of Stalfoes and he was the only survivor. He said that he managed to stay on the trail so he could find his way out. He told us as he was walking back he came across the remains of other squads and it looked like they had suffered the same fate." Link nodded. He hadn't known what became of Third Squad but he was glad that someone else made it out alive. Malon continued.

"He proposed that somebody knew about the patrol and sent those Stalfoes after it. But it seems that the Princess doesn't agree with him. Now, these are just rumors mind you, but they're saying that the Captain of the Guardsmen is behind this. I mean, nobody but Malik, Princess Zelda, and the Captain knew about where they were going." She shrugged. "I guess it seems probable. But there could have been somebody else…"she let that thought sink in and there was a moment of silence. Lonny could still be heard quietly sobbing next to Link. "What happened out there?" Malon asked, breaking the silence. Link took a breath and began to explain what he'd been through. He made a point not to leave anything out.

"So what you're saying is true?" Malon said, inspecting Link's left hand. Link nodded.

"Yeah but I'm not sure what this thing is…" Malon looked at Link with a serious expression. She let Link put his glove back on.

"I think what you need to do is go and talk to Princess Zelda." Malon stood up. "She'll want to hear your account of everything that happened." Link stood up and so did Lonny and her father. They were all quiet and Link was pulled back into another hug by Lonny.

"Please be safe…"she whispered. Link hugged her back and they stayed like that for some time. Then, as the light of dawn was peaking over the trees, he headed towards the village after a few more goodbyes.

He walked down the center of the village just as the people were beginning to get busy. The now well-worn armor of the Army Scouts drew some attention to him but he wasn't the main interest of the people around him. This made him glad his hand was covered and wasn't glowing uncontrollably. It took him a little less than ten minutes to reach the guarded door of the Village Hall. The soldiers at the front didn't stop him from passing when they saw that he was a soldier himself and Link entered the building.

The Village Hall was the largest wooden structure in the village with many wooden beams supporting the roof over a large floor space. The floors were often polished so it looked like it was made of stone. The walls were bare except for a few torches here and there. He walked up to a desk near the entrance and asked if he could see Zelda. After a few questions, the receptionist learned that he was from the lost patrol and escorted him to a conference room on the upper level of the building.

"The Princess is through that door." He said when they reached a large wooden door. "She is in a meeting with her generals and advisors. But I'm sure she'll be more than accommodating considering the circumstances." With that said, the receptionist left and Link opened the door.

It was relatively quiet in the room despite the amount of people in it. In the center of the room was a long table with Princess Zelda at its head. On the sides were most of the generals from the army with their advisors by their sides. Close to the door was Malik with a white-haired man in Scout armor next to him. Malik saw him and gave him a look of surprise at seeing him. His partner noticed an also looked at Link. Soon the entire conference was looking at him, including Princess Zelda. "Link?" she asked. He nodded and she smiled in relief. "Oh thank the Goddesses. Come over here." Link made his way to the Princess's side and looked down the table. The faces of the generals were either confused or angry by this obvious rookie standing at the side to the Princess.

"This is Private Link from my Guards, gentlemen." Most of her audience nodded in greeting while those who were angry continued to stare him down. "He was assigned on the unfortunate patrol we just lost in the Woods. An unfortunate coincidence that happened to be his first patrol. How he was able to survive I'm sure he'll be able to tell us. Link, if you would-"she stopped and a confused look passed over her face and she glanced down at Link's hand. Link froze and sweat began to build up on his forehead. Zelda turned back to her generals.

"Excuse us, sirs, but I'm afraid we must postpone this meeting until another time." She stood up and the scrape of chairs filled the room. "Follow me, Link." She began to walk forward and Link followed. As she passed Malik and the man with him, she whispered to them and they followed after Link. They went to the other end of the Hall where the Princess's private quarters were located. As they entered that section, they saw that it was much like the rest of the Hall except there were more couches than there were desks. They entered what looked like an office and the Princess closed the door behind her. She gestured to the chairs. "Please, sit." The soldiers sat and Zelda took her place across from them. "Captain, if you would introduce yourself."

The man next to Malik nodded. "Of course, Your Highness." He stood up and bowed to Link. "My name is Willey, Captain of the Princess's Guardsmen. This is my new advisor, Lieutenant Malik, who I believe you've met before." He nodded at the Princess and she thanked him. Then she turned her gaze to Link.

"If you may, Link, it's considered rude for acquaintances to hold conversation with travel ware on." She was talking about his gloves. Link took a deep breath and removed his gloves. The Guardsmen gasped at what they saw and Zelda inhaled sharply. The triangles on his hand weren't glowing anymore but the gold one was still prominent compared to the other ones. "I had a feeling." Zelda said. "As soon as you got close to me, my hand began to burn and itch." She removed her gloves as well and on her left hand were also three triangles except a different one was gold. Link gaped at the triangles on her hands. "These symbols are known as the Triforce. They are given out to three individuals by the Goddesses. The three they choose become the Goddesses' champions and a new age is presented once the result has been decided. I hold the Triforce of Wisdom from the goddesses Nayru, Ganondorf was given the Triforce of power by the goddesses Din, and you, Link, were blessed to receive the Triforce of Courage from the goddess Farore. In fact," she looked at Captain Willey and Malik, "we all have been blessed by this. Captain, I propose we launch a direct offensive on Hyrule Field." Captain Willey, who was expecting something on the lines of attack, was taken aback by this statement.

"Excuse me, Princess, but do you think that's wise? I mean, the soldiers only just returned home after a failure of the last attempt. The soldiers will want to rest and recover and any morale that they have will fall to almost nothing." Zelda nodded.

"I realize the consequences of this decision but morale won't drop, actually, it will rise once they see who'll be leading the charge." She looked at Link and he realized what she was saying.

"You mean..?" Princess Zelda nodded.

"Yes Link, I do." She addressed Willey and Malik. "Link will lead the advance on Hyrule Field. With the Triforce at their side, the army will have the energy that they wouldn't have had without it." She made eye contact with who she was addressing. "It is a sign from the goddesses of this land. The time for the final battle is now and Link must be the one to lead it. Is my logic sound, Willey?" Captain Willey thought for a moment.

"Yes, Princess. I believe it is." Zelda nodded and stood up. The three across from her stood as well.

"Then that is all for now. Captain, Lieutenant, you may leave." They saluted and left the room, leaving Link alone with the Princess. Zelda gave Link her attention and her demeanor became more relaxed. "Link," she said, "you know the story of the Hero of Time?" Link nodded. He had grown up with stories told about the Hero. "Did you know that his name was also Link?" Link shook his head in surprise. Zelda smiled.

"When I was a little girl, a fairy boy snuck into the Castle Garden where I was spying on a meeting my father was having. The nights before, I had had a dream of a boy with a fairy coming from the woods with the light to drive off the darkness. It was then that Link and I became friends. We tried to stop Ganondorf before we even knew what we were doing. When my guardian spirited me away from the Castle after it had fallen I gave Link the only heirloom I managed to get away. The Ocarina of Time. Nothing was heard of a hero for seven year then suddenly he just appeared. I knew he used the Ocarina to travel to a time where he would be stronger. I became a Sheikah so I could help him without making my presence known to the King of Evil." Zelda stopped and took a breath. "My disguise worked until I revealed my identity to Link in the Temple of Time. Ganondorf took me captive and that was the last time I ever saw my friend, the Hero of Time." Link looked at Zelda and saw that sense of loss that he'd seen in the shop all those days ago. This was soon replaced by a fierce determination. "Link, you have to do this for the Hero before you and for the good of all the peoples of Hyrule." Link nodded and saluted.

"Yes, Princess." She smiled.

"Please, Link, call me Zelda." He took his hand away. As he was starting to leave, Zelda said one more thing. "Link, I have high hopes for you and this charge. I expect to be standing in Kakiriko Village by this time next week." Link was surprised by the speed she expected but nodded. Zelda smiled at him and he left.


	7. Chapter 7

It was early morning and Link was standing in front of the troops that he was leading to the Field that morning. He was wearing what was originally Scout Armor but it had been modified to withstand the blows of combat. While it was still flexible, he didn't want to be vulnerable to attacks from any Labrynnians or Gerudos. A dark green tunic was being worn with chain mail underneath. His arms were covered with hard leather plates and he wore a metal helmet without a faceguard. His legs were covered with metal shin guards and a standard metal shield on his back. Underneath the shield was the same sword he'd worn earlier when he was in the Woods.

Link looked at his soldiers and realized the impossibility of the task before him. "Soldiers," he said, "the task before us is tremendous. Our objective is to take the area that we've failed to hold for the past twenty-one years. We are the advance party, we can expect little to no reinforcements, but we have the element of surprise on our side. After our last attack being only a week or so ago, they won't be expecting an assault, much less with this small of a force. We will have to break through the defenses outside of the Woods, continue through and secure Zora's Domain then make our way through to Kakiriko Village. As we take each point, the army following will secure the land we take. If all goes well, we can expect more help to come.

"For all these long years we have been fighting for the hope of returning this land to normal. The hope that we won't have to hide as refugees to keep our families safe." His voice quivered with emotion as he said this. He had his own people to fight for. "But we cannot go back to the way we were." A silence filled the area of the Woods they were in. "No, for when we defeat the Enemy, we will be a stronger people. And Hyrule shall stand united once more!" Link raised his sword above his head and cries filled the air. He could feel the air buzzing with excitement and the Triforce began to tingle on his hand. He got them to quiet down.

"But as I said, surprise and stealth are our biggest allies right now. So at all costs we need to make as little noise as possible." He waved them on to start marching. "Let's get this started, shall we?" he said in a hushed voice. He saw a few heads nod as he also began marching.

With surprising silence, the group of forty-two warriors made their way to the entrance of the Lost Woods where the barricade was located. Link stopped and those he was leading stopped as well. He turned back to face them and looked over their faces, thinking of what was about to transpire. Link took a deep breath and the silent assault began on the Labrynnian defenses.

Ganondorf strode heavily into the quarters of the stranger. He'd been dealing with antics like this since he'd met the strange Hylian all those years ago. The stranger was sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on another chair. It seemed like the stranger never changed the clothes he was wearing. Always a copy of what the foolish hero wore when he fought with the Dark King. "You said you had news for me?" Ganondorf asked. The stranger smiled and got up from his position. He walked up really close to the King and stared uncomfortably into his eyes.

"Yes, King Ganondorf. I do believe that the Triforce has come together in this land once again." He said this in a testing voice, looking at Ganondorf's face for an expression. The King managed to keep a dignified pose.

"Why do you have reason to believe this?" he inquired. The stranger laughed and walked away to a desk on the other side of the room.

"I have been studying the Triforce and the Sacred Realm for many years, Gerudo. I know when I am in the same plane of existence as the whole Triforce." He seemed to fiddling with something in what seemed to be a locked drawer. Ganondorf, an accomplished sorcerer in his tribe could feel a darker magic emanating from the stranger's direction. Ganondorf shuffled nervously.

"Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" he was ready to leave this meeting. The stranger returned to his original spot in the chair.

"I can't allow you to fail this time Ganondorf. I will fight the fool this time." When he said these words, Ganondorf felt a shiver travel down his spine. The Evil King's eyes narrowed and he stared the stranger down. The stranger, however, didn't seem to notice the hostility that was just shown towards him. With nothing else said, the King left. The stranger looked at the door the King just went through. He opened the drawer and pulled out a pitch-black piece of stone with multiple grooves on it. "That fool thinks he is the one in charge of this war." He muttered to the stone. "He thinks that I'm here to serve his every whim." He chuckled and put the piece back in the drawer.

Out in the hallway, Ganondorf released a deep breath out of frustration. This person was starting to make him angry. He walked down the hallway until he came across the guards at the end. As he approached them, they sprang to attention. Ganondorf walked right up to the one who was in charge and got really close to him. "You are to report directly to me whenever the wretch in that room eats, sleeps, or does anything worthy of attention." His voice was quivering with anger, and the fact that it was showing was making him more furious by the second. "If you tell anyone of this assignment, I will personally show you the dark side of the King of Evil." Fear raced through the soldier's eyes as he accepted the task. Ganondorf walked away, more worked up than he'd been when he left the so-called meeting.

He made his way up to the top of the highest tower in his castle. He looked over the now mostly deserted town and Hyrule Field stretching out far into the distance. The Evil King didn't like this spot as the ridge where he would go before he met the stranger. He'd tried to go back to that spot shortly after the stranger met him there but there was an evil presence that took hold of the area. Still, he could feel the breeze of Hyrule Field but the air wasn't as fresh.

Ganondorf turned his gaze towards the Lost Woods. His informants in the town told him that the army was resting still but would be ready to attack soon. The corners of his lips lifted up in a smile. Soon those rebellious dogs would just be the last of a withering flame. He was expecting to be master of this land soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Ganondorf walked into a huge room where he'd called his generals to a meeting. When they saw him enter they quickly jumped up to attention. He walked over to the head of the table where there was a massive velvet chair waiting for him. He sat down and there was the sound of chairs scraping the ground as the generals sat down as well. There was silence in the room and Ganondorf looked over their faces. All of them had his confidence, but not his trust. Not a soul in this room was aware of the stranger except for him and that was the way he wanted to keep it. A broad shouldered man readjusted himself and cleared his throat. "My King," he started. Ganondorf looked at him and his eyebrows narrowed. "Excuse my tone, but why are we having this blasted meeting so early?" this man was no stranger to Ganondorf. General Koaff had often questioned the King and gone against the grain of excepted practice. In the battlefield it impressed King Ganondorf but that manner of conduct greatly aggravated him.

"Where is General Lupice?" Ganondorf asked, ignoring Koaff. Someone down the table informed him that he was seeing to affairs in the south and the west about defenses. Ganondorf's forehead wrinkled. He had never given the order to send Lupice to check defenses. Ganondorf's mind immediately went to the stranger. _Was he somehow pulling strings from his chambers? _Ganondorf put this matter to the side of his mind because Koaff began talking again.

"-a peace negotiation with Termina." Ganondorf did a double take.

"Excuse me, but what are you rambling on about now?" the generals around the table laughed and Koaff stopped talking immediately. He tried to collect himself before speaking again.

"I was saying that our best option to root out the rebels is by allying ourselves with the nation on the other side of their sanctuary. That way they won't able to receive supplies and we can attack them from both sides." Ganondorf nodded. Logically, Koaff's plan made sense but it did not go in accordance with the King's personal agenda.

"I agree with General Koaff's plan of a treaty with Termina." Ganondorf said. General Koaff, and many others around the table were shocked at this statement. "However, Termina is surrounded by a strange magic and the people there are almost just as strange. I don't believe that we can trust where their loyalties lie." Koaff scoffed at Ganondorf's reasoning.

"You cannot base your opinion of a country based on the location of the said country. That's just ridiculous." The King gave him and evil look.

"I am not solely basing it on location. Termina has been supporting the rebels in the Lost Woods since they made it their base. If we were to manage an alliance with them, they would be able to supply the wretches with information and arms more speedily." Ganondorf stood up before Koaff could speak again. "The reason that I called this meeting as early as I did was because I propose that we launch an immediate attack on the rebel base in the Lost Woods." The generals we taken aback by the proposition.

"My King," another general across the table started, "there has been no proof of-"A stare from Ganondorf silenced the man. Ganondorf looked at the other generals with the same expression coming to a stop with Koaff.

"Any other objections?" he asked. All of the generals, besides Koaff, shook their heads. With a moment's hesitation, Koaff also shook his head. Ganondorf continued, "Your orders are to mobilize our main force as quickly and quietly as possible. I want this attack to happen before the end of the week." Ganondorf pushed his chair back to leave and his generals stood up as well. As he left the room, Koaff called out to him and met up with the king in the hallway outside of the conference room.

"My King," he began, "I do not wish to convey a sense of disloyalty to you during these conversations. My only wish is to serve you, but things must be done the right way. An attack must be planned by considering all possible angles of attack and defense while losing a minimum amount of troops." After saying this, Koaff bowed and went back to the conference room.

"Forward, men!" Link cried when they had broken through the enemy's defenses. His sword was raised above his head and his group let out a battle cry on the sleepy troops. The enemy had no idea what had just happened. The rebels were supposed to be resting, not attacking. The sound released from the small group of warriors gave the illusion of there being a large force attacking and the troops stationed there were completely unprepared to face them. Before long, the gate and courtyard was under their control. At the command of Link, one man shot a smoking, green arrow into the sky as a signal for the main force to advance. "Secure the gate!" a small group of his fighters ran to follow his orders. A few minutes, precious time in Link's eyes, passed and there was a call.

"The main force is in sight!" cried one man on the wall. Link nodded and the attack on the main part of the defenses.

Inside the fort, a runner brought the news to the presiding general. "Good thing you told me," he said when he was told the news, "I was just getting up." The runner nodded cautiously.

"Yes, General Lupice." A sudden pain in the runner's stomach made him gasp. He looked down and saw Lupice's hand pulling a knife out of his stomach.

"It's nothing personal," he said, seeing the expression on the messenger's face, "it's actually very invigorating isn't it?" the man collapsed to the ground, unmoving. "The sensation of blood running down your hand and out of your body." He took a deep breath. "It makes you enjoy every moment you have in this world." Lupice walked out of the room to a balcony overlooking the main yard of the fort. On the opposite side of the yard, the main gate broke open and a small band of rebels rushed through. Lupice laughed. They were trying the same strategy that the King used to take the castle. He made eye contact with a boy who looked like he'd just come of age. General Lupice smiled and went back to his room to don his weapons.

When Link saw the open field he thought that they would be met with a huge force. But it seems that he caught them at the perfect time. There were barely any men up and there were many of them on patrol around the border of the Lost Woods. They streamed through the gate and Link made eye contact with a man across the yard. A shiver went down his back and the man smiled and walked away. _Who in Hylia's name,_ he wondered. His force continued through the fort. "You," he addressed his second in command, "take those men to take the armory." He nodded and left with the men assigned to him. "The rest of you, come with me. We're going to take the general's quarters. A forced surrender is our best hope here." They agreed and followed him to the western part of the fort.

They fought their way through the now steady stream of enemy soldiers. Every once in a while, the stream would slow down enough for them to take a break but they continued to press on. Soon they made their way the general's quarters and burst in to find them cowering behind desks like children. Link looked at them in disgust. "You sicken me you cowards." He said contemptuously to them. "Surrender your weapons and this fort and you might live." Without hesitation they threw their swords away from them and stood up with their hands up. "Who's in charge here?" Link asked. One stepped forward but stiffened and fell to the ground. A metal quill was protruding from his throat and Link jumped back. He looked behind him and saw the man from earlier. The quill flew back to the man's hand and Link saw that he was wearing a metal glove with more of these quills for each finger on the glove.

"I'm the one in charge here." He stated. Men poured into the room and Link saw that he was outnumbered. "You think you could just come in here and take my fort?" he laughed. "And with such a small force? You are truly naïve for your age. Who is your commander?" Link just stared him down. The man raised his eyebrows. "You? You're the commander of this pathetic force?" he grunted. "Certainly explain a few things." Link swung suddenly at him and he blocked it with a thin sword he was carrying in his other hand. "You certainly are a spunky one aren't you?" Link withdrew his attack and readied for combat. They began to circle the center of the room, staring each other down. "I do believe I'm going to enjoy feeling your blood running down my hands. The young ones always have such a vibrant life force that is such a joy to sap away." He stopped walking and charged Link. Link's hand started burning and a strong pulse of adrenaline coursed through his body. Link met his charged and their swords met with sparks and the clang of steel on steel.

Lupice's sword movements were very fluid almost like he was a liquid. Link's sword barely made it to block any of his attacks. With a push, Link began an offensive on Lupice's defenses. He wasn't as fast as Lupice but he was a formidable foe. Lupice's brow narrowed with concentration as he was challenged to defend himself. Troops around them, Ganondorf's and Link's, cheered for their respective commanders and the support gave Link more strength. Lupice, however, found it annoying. Between attacks, he shot his quills to the left of him. They circled around to the side of Link and shot towards him. Link tried to block them and, seeing an opportunity, Lupice attacked Link's exposed side. Link instinctively flipped backwards and the quills found their target in an enemy soldier on the sidelines. Lupice's attack missed and he let out a growl of anger. Link pulled his shield off of his back and Lupice pulled his quills back to him and let them fly. Link blocked this attack with his shield and met Lupice sword-to-sword once more.

After a moment more of intense fighting, they leapt away from each other. Both breathing heavily, they scanned their persons for injuries. Link found that he had a few light scratches on his face and a not to deep cut on his arm. Lupice had a deep cut on his arm and it was dripping blood on to the floor. He was missing a couple quills on his hand and both of their swords were notched. A cry from the back of the room went up.

"There are more rebels flooding in!" one went. A quill shot out to his temple and the man collapsed instantly. Lupice stood up straight.

"As much as I regret to leave my prey alive, I'm afraid I must leave." Lupice bowed and began to leave.

"Wait a minute," Link started, "You can't just leave in the middle of a fight, you coward." Lupice stopped and turned to face him.

"It doesn't make me a coward to run from a fight that I may not win. All of the courage in the world is of no use to anyone unless you have the wisdom of which fights to fight." And with that, he left with his guards. The rest of them threw down their weapons at Link's feet. Link cursed and, after instructing his men to assemble the prisoners in the courtyard, went to meet the advance party at the gates.


End file.
